We control the means of production

We control the means of production

For nearly all of human history, a select few controlled the means of production. A handful of people owned the factories, the facilities, and the raw materials, and there wasn’t much that the other people could do about it.

Thankfully, we’re a place now where that’s no longer true. The device that you’re reading this on has all of the capability that anyone else on the planet has; you can can capture images, write content, create videos, and do more than people could have imagined just a few decades ago.

Some people choose not to take advantage of it. From his book “Linchpin“, Seth Godin explains his frustration with folks like that:

“I’m always amazed when I meet a writer who can’t use a computer, or a lawyer who’s uncomfortable with LexisNexis, or an executive who needs a corporate IT person to help him navigate an e-mail system.”

Or put more succinctly:

“The world just gave you control over the means of production. Not to master them is a sin.”

The counter to this idea is to say “No, we don’t. Google controls the search engine, Facebook controls social media, and we’re just cogs in their systems.” It’s not wrong, but it’s a lazy argument.

You can own your content and own the algorithms. There is a good chance that you’re reading this because you’ve subscribed to get these posts by email. There’s no search engine, no social media, and no algorithms involved. I own the site and I own the email list, and it costs essentially nothing for both of them.

You can choose to ignore the technology like Seth shared, or you can give up because “they” control everything, or you can just grab control for yourself. The means of production are in your hands, so use them.